Inflatable outboard motor boat



Jan. 4, 1955 T. A. PoTTs ET AL INFLATABLE OUTBOARD MOTOR BOAT Filed Feb. 20, 1952 IN VEN TOR. 11 1011445 A POTTS BY ELEM rr. POTTS 73 f- M ATTORNEYS United States Patent INFLATABLE OUTBOARD MOTOR BOAT Thomas A. Potts and Helen V. Potts, Bridgton, Maine Application February 20, 1952, Serial No. 272,552

9 Claims. (Cl. 9-2) This invention relates to inflatable fabric boats and to outboard motor mountings for use with such boats.

Heretofore outboard motors have been mounted on curved rigid members fastened in various ways around the centre of a transverse stern tube or on a rigid transverse panel fitting in a transverse pocket attached to the centre of a transverse stern tube on such boats.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a transversely extending rigid motor mounting which distributes the weight of the outboard motor over the entire stern portion of the boat thus eliminating a concentration of weight at the centre of the stern tube and eliminating the tube drag caused thereby.

Another object of our invention is to provide additional buoyancy on each side and in rear of the outboard motor thereby counteracting the weight and downward thrust of the motor in operation.

A further object of our invention is to removably connect an outboard motor mounting to an inflatable boat by the force of gravity together with the grip of the inflated tubes of said boat as they press against rigid :j

legs depending from said mounting.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a longitudinally extending rigid leg encircled by longitudinally extending inflated tubes on each opposite side of the boat stern thereby forming an outboard motor well at said stem with an open rearward end and a stabilizing fin on each side thereof.

A still further object of our device is to provide an easily collapsible mounting made up of separable, rigid parts and an easily collapsible fabric boat so formed of inflatable tubes as to receive and grip said mounting when inflated without the need of special straps or other additional structure to hold said mounting in place.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a plan view of the preferred form of our invention with an outboard motor thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 in section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 of a modification.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. l of still another modification and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the motor mounting of our device.

In Figs. 1 to 3 we show the preferred form of our invention which includes an inflatable fabric boat A and a rigid outboard motor mounting B. The boat A includes a pair of longitudinally extending inflatable side members 11 and 12 and a laterally extending stern member 13 all of said members being air tight tubes of rubber, rubberized fabric, plastic such as Vinylite or similar material. Members 11 and 12 converge toward each other as at 16 and 17 as they approach the bow tip 18 and also taper upwardly to form a typical hydroplane undersurface 19.

A fabric bottom 20 is provided as well as suitable oar locks 22 and 23 and a bow ring 28. An additional laterally extending inflatable member 10 is preferably provided intermediate of the boat to assist in maintaining the form thereof.

In previous inflatable boat constructions it has been customary to end the side members such as 11 and 12 at the stern member 13 and to mount an outboard motor on the centre of the stern member in various ways. In the preferred form of our invention we continue the side members 11 and 12 to the rear of stem member 13 as at 31 and 32, then bend them inwardly back upon themselves at 33 and 34, to form an inflatable tube section such as 35 or 36. The material on the inside of the curved portions, as at 38 and 39, may be tucked or crimped and there may be a fabric bottom 40, 41 extending between a side member 31 and its adjacent inflatable tube section 35 to assist in retaining the form shown upon inflation. The forward closed end of each inflatable tube 35 and 36 at 45 and 46, is cemented to the stern tube 13 in the same manner that the closed ends of tube 13 are cemented to side tubes 11 and 12.

We provide separate air inlet and outlet valves 50, 51, 52 and 53 for each side member 11 and 12 and each cross member 10 and 13 so that each member is an independent air and water tight compartment. In addition however, we prefer to include an air and water tight partition as shown at 54 and 55 in side members 11 and 12 together with additional valves 56, 57 whereby motor supporting tubes at the stern are not affected by puncture of the forward tubes.

Each inflatable tube section 35 or 36, being spaced from its adjacent side member such as 31 and 32, forms an elongated vertically extending recess such as 60 and 61 in rear of the stern member 13 and equal in height to the thickness of the side and stern members. Each recess such as 60 is formed by the inflatable side walls of tubes such as 32 and 36, and in the preferred form of our invention by the curved tubular portion 34 and a corresponding portion of stem tube 13 forming inflatable end walls of the recess.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the outboard motor mounting of our device includes a pair of laterally extending, or horizontal, rigid members 100, 101 and a pair of vertically extending rigid legs 102 and 103 depending therebelow. Members 100 and 101 and legs 102 and 103 may be of wood, metal, plastic or similar material and may be permanently connected together by bolts and angular plates as shown at 106.

Preferably, we form each leg 102 or 103 as an elongated, narrow panel of considerable depth and abut the upper portions thereof to the ends of members 100 and 161 in the manner shown for mutual strength and support. As indicated in Fig. 6 at 107 we may connect the mounting together by corner hinges or as at 108 we may use removable pins so that the parts may be separated and packed flat. A filler piece 110 may be used on a member such as 100 to accommodate the clamps of larger outboard motors.

In operation our outboard motor mounting is first assembled and the tubes 10, 11, 12, 13 and tube sections 35 and 36 are partially inflated. Upon inflation the recesses 60 and 61 commence to take form. Thereupon the legs 102 and 103 of mounting B are inserted in recesses 60 and 61 and inflation of the boat A is continued. Upon full inflation the side walls of the recess grip the sides of the legs of the mounting B and member 100 rests on stern member 13 while member 101 rests on the tube sections 35 and 36. An outboard motor well is thus formed behind stern member 13 and each leg 102 together with its tubes 32 and 36 forms a longitudinally extending stabilizing fin on each opposite side of the well 70. Motor M is then clamped centrally of member in the usual manner and its weight and thrust is distributed by mounting B to the longitudinally extending tubes while the transverse tube 13 is relieved of a major portion thereof.

As shown in Fig. 4 instead of bending each side tube back upon itself in parallel relation, we may bend side members 200 and 201 of an inflatable boat C back upon themselves in angular relation as at 202, 203 to form a triangular recess such as 205, 206. We thus achieve a fish tail stern having an outboard motor well 207 with diverging side walls at 208 and 209. The parallel members 211 and 212 of the mounting D, used with this type of construction are connected by end pieces 214 and 215 and have legs 216 and 217 of triangular cross section depending therefrom to fit in triangular recesses 205 and 206.

In Fig. 5 we show another modification in which the inflatable boat E is provided with inflatable side members 300, 301 and an inflatable stern member 302. An inflatable tube section such as 304 or 305 is spaced from each side member 300 or 301 and is provided with closed ends 306, 307, 308 and 309. Ends 306 and 308 are cemented to stem member 302 while each end 307 or 309 is joined to its adjacent side member by a web of fabric 310 or 311 or by a rigid web if desired. A well 370 similar in shape to well 70 is thus formed and the legs 102 and 103 of a mounting such as B can be inserted in the narrow elongated recesses 320, 321 formed between each tube section 301 and 304 and 300 and 305.

We claim:

1. In an inflatable fabric boat including a pair of longitudinally extending inflatable side members and a laterally extending inflatable stern member the combination of a pair of elongated inflatable tube sections each spaced from one of said side members and each extending alongside the sternward portion of a side member, and a pair of vertically extending recesses, each having an open upper end and inflatable side walls, each said recess being formed between the adjacent side walls of a side member and its adjacent tube section on each side of the stern of said boat.

2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein each inflatable tube section extends diagonally from the rearward end of a side member to an intermediate point on the rearward side of said stern member and the recesses formed therebetween are of substantially triangular cross section.

3. A combination as in claim 1 wherein each inflatable tube section extends parallel to the rearward extension of a side member and the recesses formed therebetween are of substantially rectangular cross section.

4. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said side members extend longitudinally substantially to the rear of said stern member; each inflatable tube section comprises the terminal portion of a side member bent back upon itself and up to the rearward side of said stern member and each recess comprises the space between the rearwardly extending portion and the forwardly bent terminal portion of a side member. 1

5. In an inflatable fabric boat including a pair of longitudinally extending inflatable side members and a laterally extending stern member the combination of an 'outboard motor mounting, of rigid material, extending laterally of said boat, proximate, and in the plane of the top of, said stern member; a pair of rigid legs depending downwardly on each opposite side of said motor mounting proximate said stern member; a pair of inflatable tube sections, of substantially the same area of cross section as said side and stern members, each tube section being fixed alongside a sternward portion of a side member, and a pair of vertically extending recesses for receiving and tightly engaging said legs, each recess comprising the space between the sternward portion of a side member and its adjacent tube section.

6. In an inflatable outboard motor boat the combination of an inflatable laterally extending stern tube, a pair of inflatable side wall tubes each extending longitudinally from the bow, past said stern tube to a line in rear of said stern tube and in rear of the center of gravity of said motor, a pair of inflatable tube sections each extending from said stern tube to the rearward line of a side tube a pair of longitudinally extending vertical leg recesses, each formed between a tube section and a side wall tube; a laterally extending rigid outboard motor mounting supported on the upper surface of the stemward portion of said side wall tubes and a pair of oppositely disposed rigid legs depending from said mounting each leg engaged in one of said recesses.

7. A combination as specified in claim 1 plus a rigid, outboard motor mounting having a pair of rigid, laterally extending, longitudinally spaced apart horizontal members, one of which is adapted to receive the clamps of an outboard motor, and a pair of rigid legs, each positioned at an opposite end of said pair of horizontal members and each depending downwardly therefrom into engagement with the inflatable side walls of one of said recesses.

8. A combination as specified in claim 7 plus hinge pivots, for connecting said legs to said horizontal members, whereby, upon removal from said boat, said horizontal members and said vertical legs are adapted to collapse into a common plane.

9. A combination as specified in claim 7 wherein said horizontal members are joined to said vertical legs by slidably removable pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,032 Peele June 6, 1916 1,574,977 Johnson et al Mar. 2, 1926 2,212,088 Tomassi Aug. 20, 1940 2,497,490 Daniels Feb. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 170,356 Great Britain Oct. 14, 1921 323,663 Great Britain Jan. 9, 1930 471,543 France Oct. 30, 1914 

